Auberta, the bear cub abandoned by her mother in April in the Catalan Pyrenees, was found dead earlier this week in her 5,000-square foot enclosure. The 10-month-old cub was going to be released into the mountainous region, where there are believed to be just 30 other brown bears.
CCTV cameras in the enclosure had captured images of the cub, broadcasting those of Auberta with the first snowfall in the area, or searching the stones of a small stream looking for food, reports Le Monde.
Earlier in November a microchip was implanted in Auberta's abdomen so that her movements could could be better monitored — this method is more preferable than a transmitter collar in younger animals. However, the bear seemed to have reopened the scar — probably while climbing a tree, said Iván Afonso, responsible for the enclosure's program — and she died from her injuries.
Photo: via Parc Animalier des Pyrénées
